- Date
- June 14, 1992, 13:18 local (20:18 UTC)
- Place
- Hanford, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N159QEnstrom F28A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920614020019A
- Case key
- 27647
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM during the takeoff. Contributing factors were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and unfavorable winds that existed at the time of takeoff.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After enplaning three people, whose total weight was estimated at 300 pounds, the pilot took off from a fair ground with a 9 to 14 knot right quartering tail wind blowing. The engine and main rotor RPM decreased as the aircraft reached approximately 30 to 40 feet above the ground. The pilot attempted to make a landing in a parking lot that was directly ahead of his position. The helicopter turned right when the skids touched the ground and rolled forward on its nose.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N159Q
- Reported as
- Enstrom F28A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 265
- Airframe hours
- 2,713
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-C1A, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Bacca, James A.
- Registered owner
- Bacca, James A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 29, 1992 · 33 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 945 total · 25 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NLC, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.